tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43945521785968807612018-05-18T12:54:54.379-04:00The PragmatistThe PragmatistPavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125blogspot/SMcjBhttps://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-2385188284614519292014-11-30T22:03:00.001-05:002015-02-24T17:20:37.325-05:00Optimal City Population Size
With the astounding pace of urbanization throughout the developing world and decline in popularity of suburbia in the developed, it is time to search for a golden middle of population size within a given area.
Is there a rough scientific population sweet spot for a city within a certain area or is it all just personal preference? If there is one it would have to be an optimal point <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/e8BfLEIZOJk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com5http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2014/11/optimum-city-population-size.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-22608423423776794292014-02-25T19:31:00.002-05:002015-03-30T17:30:03.557-04:00Resource Based Economy Requires Electric Grid Modernization First
Those wishing for serious political change should take a look at electricity technology infrastructure. Major investments into smart meters, public energy ownership + storage, HVDC transmission cables, modernized electric grids, and a digital network to manage it all.
Let's provide a bit of context for advocacy of something as seemingly dull sounding as digital electric smart meters.
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/HIz35enB62s" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com2http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2014/02/resource-based-economy-requires.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-32172430843896830312013-08-04T16:37:00.000-04:002015-03-30T18:05:41.151-04:00Unified Electric Global Smart Grid
click to enlarge Fuller's Dymaxion Map
Communication and transportation grids are secondary in importance when creating a Type 1 civilization. Proper digitally controlled unification of major continental electrical grids is the essential physical foundation of a truly global society.
Gross world product increased an estimated 530% in the 19th century and grew an average of 5.3% annually <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/cXmauVZzK-o" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com3http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2013/08/global-unified-electrical-supersmart.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-13432743496383852492013-04-18T12:39:00.000-04:002013-04-19T13:34:59.711-04:00World citizenship and world passport
Globalization can be better structured through reward of world citizenship upon completion of qualified technical and scientific institutes. This creates cadres for international infrastructure management and aspirations to join such cadres.
Currently, it appears that the next step in globalization will be transnational government owned corporations in energy, transport, and various other <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/RqqgxpL-eUk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com1http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2013/04/world-citizenship-and-world-passport.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-7901380340503944862013-02-17T14:04:00.000-05:002014-01-31T04:10:27.588-05:00Increasing Redundancy in Government and Technological Systems
There are dangers in seeking efficiency above all other values in social and material engineering. Redundancy and efficiency are often two sides of the same coin.
Here at The Pragmatist, we really value
efficient government and energy distribution systems. Going as far as to promote a special branch of police under the executive to
make periodic efficiency audits and raids on various <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/JInBlkZ601g" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com3http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2013/02/redundancy-versus-efficiency-in.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-41855887566281600582013-01-16T21:55:00.002-05:002013-01-27T20:55:04.787-05:00Military Lessons from Syrian Civil War
It is still too early to say whether the alliance of Western, Turk, Saudi, Qatar funded mercenaries and foreign Al-Qaeda fighters will "liberate" Syria the way they did Libya.
But 2 years gives us some time for observation on modern civil wars.
Observers trying to be neutral in seeing what is happening in Syria start off with a customary disclaimer. "Assad regime is rather shady and <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/lE6tq-z_YzQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com1http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2013/01/military-lessons-from-syrian-civil-war.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-18097123886748952092013-01-05T23:14:00.001-05:002016-10-09T17:22:35.700-04:00Converting Military-Industrial Complex for Civilian Use
Large military contractors can continue to make a killing (no pun intended) for their shareholders if half of their military hardware and development was converted towards social benefit.
Previously, The Pragmatist covered the need to utilize the high tech assembly lines, research and development labs, and sophisticated blue collar job creation potential of the current American <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/5ACOL9ROd2I" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2013/01/converting-military-industrial-complex.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-90280226216649582642012-12-30T11:40:00.000-05:002013-01-02T01:12:56.043-05:00Urban Planning of Experimental Satellite Cities
Rapid urbanization in the third world offers a chance to cheaply try out urbaneering with various built from scratch functional "theme" cities.
A resource rich continent like Africa that is experiencing an average annual GDP growth of 5-10% will soon have a lot of governments with funds to try out prestige projects. Satellite cities offer national elevation into global spotlight, economic <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/0YTgK5lg88M" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/12/urban-planning-of-experimental.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-22113872436120389322012-12-09T17:27:00.001-05:002012-12-11T23:07:58.592-05:00Future of Kurdistan
Major challenges for the Kurds: The world's largest ethnic group without its own country sitting in a region resembling pre-World War 1 Europe and United States winding down its global oil based empire due to becoming energy independent.
Poor Kurds. Living in an era that requires novel supranational construction and deepening international cooperation on regional, continental, and global <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/x8_EOCZIxjA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com1http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/12/future-of-kurdistan.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-61712833036736202212012-12-02T18:56:00.004-05:002012-12-07T03:43:05.480-05:00Myers Briggs Personality and Evolution of Leadership
16 MBTI personality types roughly correspond to different breeds of self domesticated human primates. Humans evolved to travel and feel comfortable in packs of 150-250. How has leadership among them evolved to the present day and what does it mean for the future of democracy?
Recently, I rather optimistically touched upon how direct democratic structures can emerge in the 21st century. One <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/MxOitwPFw9Q" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com4http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/12/myers-briggs-personality-and-evolution.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-43796970038100721132012-11-15T19:44:00.001-05:002012-11-21T01:08:46.313-05:002012 China Political Transition and Global Economic Uncertainty
China's 5th generation leadership is status quo prone due to lack of development in the West.
It has been been a few years since we looked at the rising east with China Mercantilism and New Global Economic Order article. Forgive that article for a certain tone of Western geopolitical chauvinism (that will be explained below).
Time to refresh.
The new Politburo Standing Committee is a <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/k9-JuZWTNI8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-china-political-transition-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-41324075464836963942012-10-21T17:32:00.000-04:002012-10-23T19:28:45.272-04:00Internet Voting and Direct Democracy
The active and engaged consumer will transform into an active and creative political actor through omnipresent ability to conduct online voting and with the help of rogue NGOs
There is a current semi-troubling trend that will evolve and mutate into a much more benign trend of direct democratic electronic voting and popular societal management. It starts with today's process of far sighted <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/6az0oasSvrQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/10/internet-voting-and-direct-democracy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-78411623033887272692012-10-18T22:20:00.001-04:002012-10-19T01:49:32.804-04:00Direct Democracy in the 21st Century
New communication technology driven democratic institutions are already in their embryonic stages and will grow to co-rule many societies in parallel with the current legislatures ( that are morally and ideologically bankrupt and losing their legitimacy)
Direct democracy enthusiasts brought us a few innovations in the 20th century such as the recall and the referendum. The use of these <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/7owOb7dEgS8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com1http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/10/direct-democracy-in-21st-century.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-16536879222429502752012-10-14T15:42:00.002-04:002014-05-20T22:52:18.977-04:00Economic Case for Scottish Independence
The 2014 referendum on independence organized by the Scottish National Party may create one of the world's wealthiest and most socially oriented republics.
SNP now holds majority in the newly created Scottish parliament. Their postmodern "quality of life" arguments for sovereignty (rather than those based on primordial blood roots and culture) are already being criticized by imperialist <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/HNewspsbhTM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-economic-case-for-scottish.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-59449840106832223792012-10-08T20:26:00.003-04:002014-04-04T22:06:42.343-04:00Technocracy Movement Becoming Popular Again
There is a potent reason why the Western world is seeing alternative samizdat publications and sites spread like wildfire. The quote below encapsulates it and is from the online Technocracy Study Course (Available in PDF. Emphasis on pages 121-143 if you don't have much time.)
What is all the more shocking is that Technocracy Movement was very popular in the 1930s (the quote above is from <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/tR_eU8x_DgU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/10/technocracy-movement-becoming-popular.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-45873549167976207192012-10-07T19:56:00.000-04:002012-10-27T09:47:54.549-04:00Eurasian Railroad Development
in a bit saner world...
Beijing to London freight delivery in 2 days as well as peaceful integration of Middle Eastern economies are some of many possibilities. Recent APEC meeting in Vladivostok should accelerate the long awaited development of Trans-Asian Railway project.
Developing infrastructure has always been risky if you're not well protected by geography or by standing armies. The<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/S5sSm8bCYlI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/10/eurasian-railroad-development.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-77857820660404998632012-09-05T21:51:00.001-04:002012-09-05T23:59:53.923-04:00United Nations Extraterritorial Heritage Sites
Returning most major ancient artifacts to their countries of origin can be accomplished. With revenue sharing super museums with embassy type protection in international UN zones.
The increasing wave of transnational requests to return invaluable pieces of history to their general geographic area opens up interesting opportunities for:
1) Novel tourist revenue sharing transnational <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/ru_IhRdpoE8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/09/united-nations-extraterritorial.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-42426660962073419392012-09-04T20:29:00.001-04:002012-09-18T22:35:28.656-04:002012 Election Year Retrospection: Failure of Obama Administration
The Pragmatist came about when the crisis began and now it is time to look back at what this site has gotten right politically, what wrong, and how election will wrap up
Barack Obama was put into office with Wall Street hedging 57% financial support towards him (it is down to 37% presently). It was widely expected that he will partially channel FDR and do for American finance top heavy <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/jIwLG1AGELE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/09/2012-election-year-retrospection.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-7826092204309986412012-08-23T20:30:00.001-04:002013-01-23T07:14:45.576-05:0021st Century Skyscrapers, Vertical Farms, and Modular Construction
Marina Bay Sands makes a major first step towards
Skyscrapers as Pillars. Imagine these buildings
facing each other and...
The corporate cliche of synergy is often correct. In this case, architectural synergy between the commercial, residential, administrative, and agricultural skyscrapers all brought under one psychologically exhilarating roof.
Well not exactly one roof. We don't do car <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/tPh9zIwD3KM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com3http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/08/21st-century-skyscrapers-vertical-farms.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-14444629441505711112012-08-01T21:16:00.000-04:002016-07-16T23:03:12.436-04:00Modular Apartment Buildings
Click to Enlarge: Brooklyn developers are getting in on the act
having been inspired by China
Modular construction of residential high rises will rapidly aid in the major shift of American suburban population to urban areas. It also stands to provide sufficient amount of housing units to reduce social tensions in parts of the developing world where insufficient housing is a dangerous <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/WKfY4GdE4qM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com5http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/08/modular-apartment-buildings.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-85451747366851709412012-07-29T16:57:00.001-04:002016-03-20T23:32:29.465-04:00Drone Delivery Service
Automated transportation systems in the sky are the next step from automation in the warehouses and on the highways
With all the excitement about robotic inventory management in warehouses (pioneered by the giant amazon.com's $775 million purchase of Kiva Systems) and creating distribution fleets of automated delivery trucks, it is easy to forget about the 3D frontier right above us.
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/qsXdNqQVF4Y" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com5http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/07/quadrocopter-delivery-service.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-64007029829986267492012-07-15T11:51:00.000-04:002012-10-27T09:50:20.097-04:00Building Cities of the Future
In addition to innovation hubs, building "governance hubs" by moving the capital cities to new locations would help many countries showcase their emergent economic strength.
Creating a new high tech political management center further attracts investor capital, brings youthful foreign talent, diversifies country's vital urban zones by function, and stimulates an energetic burst of national <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/j7ugi1HbKtI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/07/building-cities-of-future.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-13832027296359991022012-06-24T19:58:00.002-04:002012-10-27T09:51:23.922-04:00Future of International Film Industry
Creating a non-superficial global cinema will require finally figuring out truly universal values of a planetary culture. These values derive from human biology.
Capturing and holding audiences from all the continents isn't easy. Many have tried.
Modern mass entertainment often serves as a deeper and more important global language than English. That is because present day Hollywood industry<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/AstFSnCH3Ok" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/06/future-of-international-film-industry.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-45841265505206739572012-06-20T18:30:00.000-04:002016-07-20T01:22:49.726-04:00Wages in a Resource Based Economy
Compensation in resource based economy will be underlined by energy accounting
The main question that technocrats all over the world are asked is "how will we get a herd of 7 billion monkeys to transition away from the current fiat monetarist system towards a real economy based on resource and electrical energy quantities? How will they be motivated beyond promise of self-aggrandizement and<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/vt9k_kAgTgo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com2http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/06/wages-in-resource-based-economy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394552178596880761.post-19288802126514364032012-06-03T18:48:00.000-04:002012-06-03T18:55:39.504-04:00Meanwhile in LibyaMeanwhile in Libya...
"On 15 May, a diplomatic source briefed by Western intelligence officials stated that, beside the tribal rivalries plaguing
the country, there was concern about a growing presence of Islamist
militants in some areas, specifically the city of Derna. The source said
that hundreds of Islamist militants were in and around the town, and
there were militant training camps <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/SMcjB/~4/eDIk0D_Suvk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Pavel Podolyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04593845585071446247noreply@blogger.com0http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.com/2012/06/meanwhile-in-libya.html